There currently exist a wide variety of massage devices, such as massage chairs, massage tables and massage mats, all of which aim to provide a relaxing massage to the person using the device. The massage is typically provided via a conventional massage mechanism that includes eccentric wheels or other apparatus that, when activated, have the effect of translating a compression, percussion, kneading or rolling motion onto the user's body. In the case of a massage chair, for example, the massage mechanism is typically mounted within the back rest of the chair such that the massaging motion is applied to the user's back when the mechanism is turned on.
One disadvantage of conventional massage mechanisms is that they often cause discomfort in the user's body when the mechanism is off, because the non-moving wheels or other massage components create undesirable fixed pressure points on the user's body. In the case of a massage chair, for example, this limits the desirability of sitting in the chair with the massage mechanism turned off.
In addition to potential discomfort with the massage mechanism off, the massage action is typically controllable by changing the speed and location of the massage as opposed to changing the amount of pressure exerted on the user. In the case of a massage chair, for example, the speed and movement of the massage wheel can be varied generally along a direction parallel to the surface of the back rest on which the user lays back, as opposed to inwardly and outwardly against the surface. Being able to move the massage mechanism inwardly and outwardly provides the benefit of varying the intensity of the massage and also helps to move the wheels inwardly away from the surface of the back rest when the massage mechanism is off, thereby minimizing undesirable pressure points on the user's back.
There currently exist massage mechanisms for chairs that are mechanically movable inwardly and outwardly against the backrest of the chair to provide the aforementioned benefits, but they typically require some sort of mechanical assembly that moves the entire massage mechanism with respect to the frame of the back rest. It would be desirable to enable control of massage intensity in conjunction with a mechanism that is fixedly attached to the massage device in a conventional manner, such as a massage mechanism attached to the frame of the back rest of a chair. This would eliminate the need for more complicated or costly devices in which the entire massage mechanism moves, while providing comparable benefits.